Le marché des agrosolvants

¹ ADEME, Direction des énergies renouvelables, Département Bioressources, 2, Square La Fayette BP 406, 49004 Angers cedex 01, France
² ITERG, Rue Monge, Parc industriel de Pessac, F 33600 Pessac, France

^* hilaire.bewa@ademe.fr
^** c.alfos@iterg.com

Abstract

Today three series of regulations have a direct impact on reducing the consumption of petrochemical solvents: these are directive 1999/13/EC aimed at reducing emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) due to industrial uses of solvents, and the directives on dangerous substances (67/548/EEC) and on dangerous goods (1999/48/EC) amended in 2002 that pertain mainly to chlorinated solvents (for example, trichloroethylene) and aromatics. The use of molecules derived from agriculture is an attractive alternative, both for agricultural production and in terms of environmental constraints. Companies in France are increasingly interested in biosolvents, with research programmes that receive funding from ADEME (via AGRICE) and are supported by several research laboratories and technical institutes. Three classes of biosolvents possess the technical characteristics that enable them to replace petrochemical solvents: vegetable oil esters (oilseed rape, sunflower, soy); esters of organic acids obtained by fermentation (acetic, citric, gluconic, lactic and succinic acid); ethanol and terpenes, in particular terpene alcohols that are not considered to be VOCs (steam pressure < 10 Pa at 293.15 K). Overall, biosolvents have indubitable advantages. They possess high solvent capacity and low volatility, and are non-inflammable, biodegradable and non-toxic for the environment. They present no health risks, and are favourably rated for the impact classes “non-renewable primary energy” and “greenhouse effect”. Depending on the degree of product maturity, the main application sectors for biosolvents are printing inks, plant protection products, manual cold surface cleansing, paints and detergents.